So That Others May Live
by Kitten Kisses
Summary: He reached carefully into his pocket and took out a lollipop, staring at it with mixed emotions. Happy, because of who it reminded him of. And sad, because that person would never be able to give him another.


For Debbie.

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So That Others May Live

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The wind rustled the leaves on the trees gently, bending the grass ever so slightly. The moon gleamed overhead, its radiance outstanding compared to the deep blue of the sky. The weather was beautiful, and, even though it was late, there were still a few people up and about.

His tail swished gently against the branch he was sitting on, his face tilted towards the ground below him. His silent companion sat a branch above, his expression unreadable in the dark, and the fox demon's spirit dropped. The hanyou hadn't been the same since… well, since Kagome had left them.

It wasn't anything that was Kagome's fault…or Sango's fault…or even InuYasha's fault. It had been nobody's fault at all. It was just something that had happened. And his young, tender heart had shattered into a million pieces at the news. He loved Kagome as his own Mother, and she had departed from him almost as quickly as she'd come into his life.

He settled back onto the branch, his eyes filling with tears for the millionth time since her untimely death. It had been a year, and he knew that it must have been her time to go. Life was to death. We live to die, and from the time we are young, we understand that we only walk this Earth for a short time. For most, it isn't nearly long enough.

He quickly swiped at his tears, looking upwards. Sango had sat with him under the stars that night… explaining to him the place where Kagome was, now. _"It's lovelier than any Earthly place"_, she'd said, matter-of-factly.

"_But is it as good as Kagome's realm?"_ he'd questioned, his childish question sounding odd, and out of place. But the smile that had lit his face was as radiant as the sun when Sango had given him a hug, and had told him that, Yes, it was ten-thousand _times_ ten-thousand times better. _"I'll bet there's a lot of candy there, then,"_ he'd stated, not saying another word.

Shippou noticed InuYasha's form again, and sighed lightly. Would the hanyou ever be the same? Kagome had had a faith in him that very few had. And now she was gone, leaving him alone. Leaving Shippou alone. Leaving them all utterly alone, with only their own thoughts to keep them company.

"InuYasha?" the young fox demon asked, his ginger hair falling in his eyes as he broke the stillness. "I miss her."

The silence continued, and he wasn't sure that the hanyou had even heard his small voice. He reached carefully into his pocket and took out a lollipop, staring at it with mixed emotions. Happy, because of who it reminded him of. And sad, because that person would never be able to give him another.

"_We die so that others may live,"_ Miroku had said. _"If we never died, we would eventually run out of space. Soon, the world would be filled!."_

But why Kagome? Why not someone else? Anybody else. And Shippou realized that… it could have been _him_ that had died. Would he have preferred it that way? He couldn't be certain… He'd have to do a lot of thinking on it later. For a moment, he listened to the rough, though soft, sound of the grass beneath him rubbing against itself in the breeze, and to the birds softly cooing from nearby trees.

InuYasha finally broke the silence, his voice steady, as if he were entirely sure of what he was going to say. Shippou knew that nothing more needed to be said.

"I think I _loved_ her."

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End. :)

Okay, so that was a bit odd. But sometimes life is just that way. A former classmate of mine died not too long ago. It was someone I've never liked, but she never deserved to die. Not that way (burned alive in her dad's old truck because she couldn't get out after she hit someone else (put them in critical condition), and it caught fire). But things DO happen. And even though Kagome never dies in the show, honestly, she could die anytime.

You could die any day. Tomorrow. Maybe even in the next few minutes.

Our time here is fleeting.

Poor Shippou hasn't learned much of death. He's seen it, yes. But it was so commonplace in that day and age, that nobody really KNEW much about it. People, just like Shippou, wondered WHY. Why her? Why not so-and-so. Why not me? I believe there is always a reason. Coping with a loss is hard, but when Shippou says he misses her… what did you think? Did you think InuYasha would respond?

Occassionally, I'll be alone, and I'll think to myself, "I really miss Debbie." Debbie was a beloved aunt of mine. The closest relative, and one of the few I'd actually known. She was such a wonderful woman. When cancer took her away from us, I, and my siblings and family, were all devastated. And even though it's been…at least five years, I can't help but miss her. Realizing that, and admitting it helps more than you can imagine.

Please, review, and let me know what you thought. Did it upset you? Make you cry? Make you wonder? Constructive criticism and any thoughts are more than welcome.

Thank You.

-Manna


End file.
